


All the places we'll ever go

by EponineTheStrange (gallifreyandglowclouds)



Category: Doctor Who RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-07
Updated: 2013-06-07
Packaged: 2017-12-14 04:48:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/832922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gallifreyandglowclouds/pseuds/EponineTheStrange
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: AU, footballer and his girlband girlfriend</p>
            </blockquote>





	All the places we'll ever go

The first time he sees her, she’s belting out a cover of The Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams’ at some large-ish club in London. He’s there with his girlfriend, but she’s ditched him for her friends (and a tall, dark handsome man who plays for Arsenal. He’ll find them together later this evening.), and he finds himself as entranced by her confidence and swagger onstage as he is by her bright red hair. 

A few hours later, after he’s found Daisy with that damn striker from Arsenal in one of the loos (and sure, he’s just some innocent Northampton boy who’s only recently arrived in London, but come on, that’s just not  _nice_ ), he finds the ginger from the band sitting at the bar. It’s late, and people are clearing out so he has just enough space to sidle up beside her. 

“Hey,” he yells over the obnoxiously loud dubstep, “you guys were great tonight.” 

She turns to him and smiles. “Thanks.” 

“Can I buy you a drink?” He asks. 

She nods. It all sort of (but not really) goes downhill from there. 

He discovers that she’s from Inverness, and originally came down to London for music school, but dropped out with her fellow members to form Karen and the Babes (of which she is Karen). Though they’re theoretically a London band, because all of her bandmates are from London, she doesn’t sound like she’s spent a day south of Edinburgh. 

He offers to walk her home, but they’ve both had a fair bit to drink at that point and they end up at his flat, and sleep together though he doesn’t really intend to. (Well, what ever has gone how he intended it?) He wakes up spooned against her, and though he never thought he would ever do anything like this, because he doesn’t want to be the archetypical young athlete who sleeps with anyone, he finds he doesn’t regret bringing her home at all. 

* * *

When he gets home from practice the next day, the only thing she’s left is a note and her scarf. At least that note contains her phone number. 

“Hey,” she says when she picks up the phone.

“Hi, it’s Matt from last night? You left your scarf at my place.”

“Oh… right. Ummm, we’re in Manchester doing a couple of shows right now, but I’d love to meet up with you when we’re back in London.” 

He smiles, because hey, Tottenham’s playing Manchester United the next day. “I’ll be there tonight. I can give it back to you then.” 

“Okay, I’m staying at the Arora hotel. Send me a text once you’ve arrived.” 

He grins, tells her goodbye, and packs at turbo speed. He has never been so excited to go on a trip.

* * *

He meets her in the lobby, and she hugs him, and he’s not really sure what the protocol is for meeting a one-night stand. They get Indian takeout food from a place around the corner from the hotel, and sit on Karen’s bed eating it.

“You guys have a show tomorrow night?” He asks as they watch  _Doctor Who_ together. 

She nods. “We’ve been performing so much since we released this EP. I’m exhausted and I can’t wait to get home.” She rests her head on his shoulder and is asleep in about five minutes. He stays absolutely still, but wraps one arm around her waist to pull her closer to him. The warmth of her body is soothing, and he doesn’t catch the rest of the episode because he’s asleep soon afterwards. 

He doesn’t go back to his hotel that night, just falls asleep tangled up with Karen. Nothing actually happens, but there’s something about the intimacy of her curling in to her side and the way her hair smells that is umpteenth times better than their previous encounter. 

He kisses the top of her head as she drifts off. 

* * *

They squeak by Man U the next day, and about the only thing that Matt can properly think about is Karen, which is both distracting and wonderful. The guys on the team mock him mercilessly, but he’s happy as can be, so whatever. 

On the train on the way back to London, he texts her. 

_heading back to London now - want to go out for dinner on Friday?_

Her reply comes a couple minutes later.

_like a proper date with dinner and snogging_

_Yeah,_ he replies. 

_pick me up at 7._

* * *

The degree to which he’s freaking out before the date is a little ridiculous. He changes his outfit several times, and pores over which flowers he should bring her for ages. His mom agrees with him that they’re not at the roses stage yet, and though he loves daisies they remind him of someone else, so he eventually just settles on chrysanthemums. 

He’s still fiddling with his tie when she opens the door, and the black silk dress that she’s wearing hugs her curves in a way that makes his mouth go more than a little dry. 

“Hi,” he says, “flowers.” He hands the bouquet to her, and follows her in to her flat as she goes to get some water for them. Her flat is tastefully decorated, and she’s got a bookshelf full of old books that he’d love to dive in to and read with her. 

The drummer from her band pops out of the shower, still in her dressing gown, and gives him the once-over. “You look nice,” she says, “for a footballer.” 

He smiles and nods at her, because there was a compliment in there somewhere. 

He takes Karen out to a little Italian restaurant not too far from her flat, which in retrospect, is probably kind of cheesy because it’s got the weird checkered gingham tablecloths and the laminated menus, but it’s romantic nonetheless. They get some looks, because the Babes are becoming more and more well known, and he’s working his way up on the Hotspurs, but no one actually comes over for an autograph. 

The conversation is pleasant and intimate, and he just feels - relaxed? Joyful? Generally good and happy. 

After they leave the restaurant, they hold hands walking back to Karen’s flat. He kisses her gently before she goes back inside, and the way that her face flushes and her back arches and she moans when their lips touch stay with him for a very, very long time. 

* * *

She starts moving in with him, almost by osmosis, leaving more and more of her stuff at his place. Maybe they’ve only known each other a couple months, but he gives her a key, and the next time he comes home from a game she’s settled in on his couch, watching Downton Abbey. 

Their schedules don’t always intersect, because the Babes are recording their first CD and planning all the things for that, and he’s traveling across Europe with the Hotspurs for the Europa League. When they’re together, though, they make the best of the time that they have. 

One night, in bed together, he kisses the pulse point just below her jaw and she whines a little. He kisses a short trail up to her ear, and then whispers, “I love you, Kaz.” The pet name is something new, but it feels right. 

Her lips curve up in a smile. “I love you too, Matt.” 

* * *

She steals one of his Tottenham hoodies, but he doesn’t really care because she looks better in it anyways. 

* * *

They go properly public at the launch party in London for the Babes’ new CD. He’s dancing with her, and she’s laughing, and in that exact moment she looks so beautiful that all he can do is lean in and kiss her.

Well, they’d known each other for what? Six months? It was going to happen eventually. 

Matt’s mother calls him the next day and asks him when he’s bringing her to Northampton for a visit. 

* * *

There’s rarely a quiet moment for them, because the Babes go on tour and Matt’s team make it to the Europa Cup finals, but fall to Basel. They do have a couple weeks off in the summer though, and they go to Northampton, and then to Inverness, and Karen actually formally moves in with Matt (a not too difficult process, because ninety percent of her stuff is at his place anyways). He learns to cook things other than pizza. They laugh, they fight, they make up. 

For him, this is what sweet dreams are made of. 


End file.
